writing on the wall
Drawing inspiration from
those who use outdoor space
as a canvas for creative expression

seeking the truth
Fake news is already old news
– let’s highlight it while
celebrating good reporting

thinking space
Create the right environment
to boost productivity
and drive collaboration

#3
Winter 2017/18

CONSIDERED
CONTENT FOR
CREATIVE MINDS

see more at...

WINTER 2017-18 /

ready to be
fearless?

03

As Method marks a decade in business in 2018,
I’m asking myself questions about what
the next ten years could look like for our agency.
While our growth has been entirely organic and
measured, it has required much facing of fear in order
to progress. It’s this mindset that our clients value,
and they feel in safe hands with us when it comes to
challenging their own thinking. If you’re looking ahead
to the next ten years as we are, maybe it’s time to talk to us.
Kirsten Corrigan, agency founder

If we want to attract and retain
inspirational individuals to support
the Cambridge of the future, we need
to let people know London isn’t the only
place to start a creative career.

words by Kirsten Corrigan

THE CREATIVE CHALLENGE OF THE FUTURE
Ideas are our currency at Method
and keeping the creative spark alive
is what motivates us as individuals in
our work. We constantly ask ourselves
how to add value to the relationships
we have with our clients – it’s vital that
our work impacts the bottom line, but
equally we recognise our team needs
to feel stimulated and challenged too.
Having people who get excited
about the work they do and who can
translate original, creative thinking

into tangible results is key for us.
Finding people like this – full of
energy, enthusiasm and ambition
– is our eternal challenge. It seems
Cambridge suffers from something
of a talent vacuum when it comes
to young, fresh and focused creative
individuals. The lure of London as a
must-do for agency experience is a
very real threat to regional agencies
like us in attracting people who can
help us build for the future.

There’s a definite need to raise the profile
of the creative sector in Cambridge –
showcasing the opportunities that exist
here – for those early in their careers to
flourish and achieve career progression.
As
twentysomethings
become
ever-more discerning about what they
value in an employer and strive for
a work/life balance that challenges
historic agency culture, we can adapt
as needed due to our freespirited and
openminded nature. This is one of our

greatest strengths and we challenge
ourselves constantly, both when it
comes to raising the bar for clients and
for us as a team. Together we’re shaping
our business every day and resisting
the corporate status quo that many
other larger, regional agencies need to
accommodate to stay in business.
So how do we capture the attention
of creative individuals who may bypass
Cambridge? We can start by challenging
our own thinking as leaders.

MIS S I ON
It’s all about the people.
We’re surrounded by creative thinkers
and hands-on doers. Let’s celebrate them.

Art on the streets

Funding creativity

Highs & Lows

Making a statement with street art
to transform environments. Is there
an opportunity for more impactful
public art in Cambridge?

Tracing how government funding
for the creative sector trickles down,
we uncovered many initiatives worth
shouting about in our region.

We meet those who are carving
out creative careers on
our doorstep. They share
the pain and the pleasure.

p6

p10

p16

MISSION /

Th

06

writingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
the

WINTER 2017-18 /

The

07

on
wall
Street art has made it into the
mainstream for getting the message out.
In a world of digital overload, our team
has found inspiration in the raw creative
expression of those with something
important to say...
words by Kirsten Corrigan

MISSION /

08

THE STRIKING
TERATOLOGY MURAL
BY VERA BUGATTI

BIG AND BOLD, WE
couldn’t miss the glorious, giant
mural painted by Italian artist Vera
Bugatti on the side of a building at the
entrance to Clerkenwell, on Old Street
in London’s hipsterville. We first saw
Teratology early in 2017, but it’s since
been painted over with a street art
style advert for The North Face, and
has probably changed again since we
last visited.
While statement public artwork is
nothing new – Banksy has been active
since the 1990s – it’s developed a more
mainstream audience thanks to mass
communication via social sharing,
especially on Instagram.
Understandably, fans of Bugatti
were vocal in their disapproval when
the artwork was painted over but it
shows that public spaces, especially
brick walls on buildings that form
part of regeneration zones, are
considered the ideal canvas for mass
media communication.

freedom of expression
Cities around the world provide
canvasses for those with antiestablishment opinions and creative
capability. In the past year we’ve
spotted some great examples hidden
down winding streets away from the
masses, unassuming and left to be
discovered as they do not fight for
prime advertising space on high traffic
junctions like Bugatti’s.
We’ve also noticed that on our
doorstep in Cambridge – a city full of
thinkers and doers – there is a distinct
lack of engaging or provocative work.
There was one exception – the now
infamous Latin grafitti that made the
headlines in April 2017, when so-called
vandals spraypainted a message across
a new development in Chesterton. The
phrase ‘Locus in Domos Loci Populum’
was a statement (we think) intended
to highlight the lack of affordable
housing in the city for locals. The
development in question comprised
homes selling for £1.25m, so you could
argue it’s a fair point... and one that
needs to be made.
Other opinion suggests it’s
a
protest
against
residential
development in this picturesque area
by the river. Either way, someone had
something to say and they found a
way to grab our attention. Surely
that’s mission accomplished?

AN UNEXPECTED DELIGHT
TUCKED AWAY IN THE NARROW
STREETS OF PORTO

Image credit: Vera Bugatti/Teratology

WINTER 2017 - 18 /

LARGE SCALE
INSTALLATIONS
FORMED A KEY PART
OF THE GARTEN EXHIBITION

positive campaigning
The word graffiti in modern language
comes from the Italian graffiato
which means ‘scratched’, although
the original word originates from the
ancient Greek graphein — meaning ‘to
write’ or ‘to paint’. It seems fitting that
this example of graffiti in Cambridge
is suitably intellectual, but what about
those of us who don’t speak Latin and
can see the potential to gain support
for positive initiatives?
Meaningful public art doesn’t have
to be antagonistic to have impact

– quite the opposite. Charities such
as Hope4Havering in London have
identified the value in leveraging this
powerful medium to raise awareness
for their cause, and it seems that with
the right stakeholder engagement it
can be a mutually beneficial endeavour.
Cambridge could benefit from
statement street art that both
provokes thought and captures the
imagination of those who recognise
original creative expression. We think
it’s time we got our hands dirty and let
our creativity shine.

NATURE
AND GEOMETRY
Method’s creative designer, Italian native
Giuliana Tammaro, is passionate about great
design and the use of outdoor space for
bringing important issues to the public. Back in
2013, she developed an original concept called
‘Garten’ in Milan and invited nine talented
street artists to collaborate. The project
culminated in an exhibition around the theme
of the Third Landscape, which refers to natural
space discarded by man in urban areas and
considered by many as the ideal environment
for biodiversity.
The exhibition celebrated the themes
of nature and geometry, with a mission to
highlight how nature reclaims abandoned space.
Giuliana selected artists who already had a keen
interest in the subject and had combined these
two themes in their work. The exhibition was
composed of various elements, including largescale paintings and installations using natural
materials. One artist created a human-sized
nest, replicating the techniques used by birds in
their natural habitat.
“I was fascinated by the word Garten
because it’s a word we have in common with
English to describe private domestic space,
whereas in German the word alludes more to
‘closed space’. The result was powerful; it had
such a physical presence and combined so many
creative disciplines. It was a true collaboration,
which was its real success.”

09

MISSION /

10

CREATIVITY
POWERS
THE CITY
Are we making enough of a noise about
the creative sector in Cambridge and what
actions are being taken to bolster it?
words by Kayleigh Didcott

WINTER 2017-18 /

DID YOU KNOW THE
Government has a manifesto for making
life better by supporting UK creativity
and innovation? This support funnels
down to the creative sector in Cambridge
in many ways. Destinations like London,
Bristol and Glasgow attract creative
talent because they are renowned for
flourishing creative sectors, and while
Cambridge has an abundance of talent
to tap into, it’s hard not to wonder why
we don’t hold a similar status.

where it flows from
Taking a look at some of the bodies
that support the creative sector in the
UK, there’s a wealth of options. The
Arts Council offers funding for the
cultural creative sector at a strategic
level across the arts, museums and
libraries. Programmes like Creative
Europe, which provides funding for
the culture and creative sectors and
invests in media through its Culture
and MEDIA sub-programmes, are

at our fingertips. Creative Industry
Finance, a programme to help creative
enterprises in gaining financial
investment, is another similar example.
There’s also ready support from the
public sector in the form of the Greater
Cambridge Greater Peterborough
Enterprise Partnership (or LEP, for
short), that works in partnership
with partners to help drive economic
growth in the area. Signpost 2 Grow is
gleaming example of an action-focused

11

Image credit: Matthew Usher for Collusion

cambridge has
an abundance
of talent
to tap into

COLLUSION R&D CHALLENGE
- THE BRINK OF THE FUTURE

Image credit: Josh Murfitt/Art Language Location

MISSION /

12

SAMANTHA HUANG INSTALLMENTS
AT WATERSTONES FOR ART LANGUAGE LOCATION

initiative that is leading the way for the
creative sector in Cambridge. As Laura
Welham-Halstead of the LEP explains,
“Signpost 2 Grow was created by the
LEP to make it easier for businesses
to connect with the help, advice and
funding they need to grow. There’s
actually a lot more support out there
for businesses than you may think, and
our team of Navigators can expertly
connect you to the right places for
free”. If you didn’t know about all of this
already, consider yourself educated!
reaping the benefits
So who is benefiting from all of these
incredible funding schemes? Collusion,
a not for profit company based in
Cambridge, that describes itself as

“working at the intersection of arts,
technology and human interaction”,
is one such a company. With support
from the Arts Council and the LEP
(amongst many others), Collusion
create disruptive, immersive works
that explore the impact of emerging
technology on society. Simon Poulter,
one of Collusion’s creators and directors,
says: “The creative industries are still
one of the strongest areas of growth for
the UK due to our willingness to open
up the frontiers between business,
academia and artistic practice. The
combined support from Arts Council
England, the LEP and companies such
as ARM and Anglia Ruskin University
(ARU) enable us to achieve impact and
scale with a relatively small team”.

Chris Owen, Head of Cambridge
School of Art at ARU, says there’re a
lot of creative initiatives associated
with the university, such as REACTOR,
a project that uses the application of
games to tackle serious topics. Other
examples that Owen cited were Brains
Eden – the UK’s largest student gaming
festival, held annually at ARU – and Art
Language Location, contemporary &
performance art projects led by an
ARU graduate.
making a place for talent
If there’s so much activity in the public
sector, I asked, then why do you think
we experience such a brain drain in the
city? Owen says he believes it’s partly
due to the proximity we have to London.

there is
actually
a lot more
support
out there
for businesses
than you may
first think

WINTER 2017-18 /

if government could help
create incubation spaces for
graduates, then we might find
young, bright talent would be
more inclined to remain

Image credit: Ben Prest for Collusion

13

COLLUSION’S
AUGMENTED REALITY
GAMES IN ACTION

He also feels that while there are many
companies in the creative sector in
Cambridge, there aren’t many large
ones with graduate schemes, and
there’s little in the way of graduate
incubator spaces. Artist and designer
studios are also few and far between
– there’s a definite lack of space – and
Owen says that, “if local government
could help create incubation spaces for
graduates, then we might find young,
bright talent would be more inclined
to remain”. There are such wonderful
intentions behind such an idea!
Vying for space in our city is a
challenge, but Cambridge’s university
status is an aspect that should be upheld.
Perhaps more answers for inspired
graduates could be the key, leading us

on the path to obtaining a more vibrant
and creatively acclaimed status.
raise your voice
While I think it’s fair to state that
cultivating the creative sector in
Cambridge isn’t the city’s primary
focus, there’s a plethora of innovation
and collaboration taking place here.
Perhaps a more poignant question to
ask: why aren’t we making more of a
noise about it? There’s no ‘pot, kettle,
black’ scenario here. We know creative
brilliance when we see it, and I think
it’s high time we started speaking
about it more. It just takes one person
to start a wave; to influence a mindset.
Let’s make a noise about cultivating
creativity in Cambridge.

Our flagship event descended
on The Hauser Forum this year,
bringing with it some of the
most influential tech startups
in Cambridge in a collaboration
with the GCGP LEP.
words by Jessica Toye

ATTENDEES WERE ABLE TO
IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN
INNOVATIVE TECH SHOWCASES

WINTER 2017-18 /

15

unite provided
a platform for
people to come
together and
support businesses,
entrepreneurs
and startups
OUR CITY IS KNOWN

Image credit: Iliffe Media

for its pioneering technology industry
and for nurturing future talent, but
is traditionally modest about its
achievements. UNITE encourages
this sharing of success and provides
a platform to celebrate those who
are brave and passionate enough to
innovate and challenge the status quo
in their own industries.
Having taken place at Cambridge’s
hub of innovation, the Hauser Forum,
attendees heard from a diverse mix of
speakers, who shared their journeys
from startup to success. Fin-Tech giant
Bango explored the importance of
staying disruptive, allowing all levels
of the business to contribute ideas.
Cambridge’s very own Dovetailed –
inventors of the revolutionary 3D food
printer nūfood – discussed its passion
for using science and digital to make
the food industry interactive.

hotbed for innovation
Google’s Digital Garage – winner of
the European Digital Skills Award –
delivered a masterclass on sharing
business stories online, emphasising
the importance for businesses to have
a strong web presence in this digital
age. Agne Milukaite, founder of bike
app Cycle.land, spoke about how
changes in the digital sector enabled
her to disrupt the way we use bicycles.
Laura Welham-Halstead, head of
communications and connectivity
at the LEP, said, “It’s been fantastic
working with Method to deliver
UNITE. We recognise the importance
of celebrating the great ideas that are
continually emerging from this area in
order to promote Cambridgeshire as a
hotbed for innovation.
“UNITE provided the platform for
people to come together and support
businesses, entrepreneurs and startups
striving forward and disrupting the
norm, transforming their industries by
finding simple solutions to everyday
tasks. We look to continue delivering
these events, to promote and highlight
our region’s successes.”

business relevance
A range of exhibitors were on show
throughout, including Collusion – a
not-for-profit company working at the
intersection of arts, tech and human
interaction – who created a bespoke
piece of virtual reality to demonstrate
how it can be used within business.
Barclays Eagle Labs also showcased its
3D printer, building a three dimensional
plastic arm during the event.
It was an exciting day, with plenty of
time for networking and idea sharing.
Roll on UNITE 2018.

MISSION /

16

Adam Giles and Richard Millen are
the Directors and driving force behind
Cambridge Filmworks, a creative video agency
working with global clients. We catch up with
this dynamic duo about the highs and lows
of filmmaking. It certainly is a rollercoaster…

Adam Giles (left) and Richard Millen (right)
of Cambridge Filmworks

THERE’S NO SUCH
thing as a normal day for us. We
have had opportunities to work
with many truly inspirational
figures – from the brightest
academics and broadcasters, like
Stephen Hawking and Stephen
Fry – to the inspirational people
who are championing and leading
in this amazing digital age.
There’s so much happening in
Cambridge – we could be working
on a project for a pharmaceutical
company in the morning and then
interviewing Sir Ian McKellen
in the afternoon. We love the
diversity of our industry!
One of the highs of our
partnership to date was when
Rich and I first joined forces. We
were creating documentaries for
National Geographic Channel –
our work took us from Alaska to
Patagonia and London to Beijing
and even to Outer Mongolia
tracing the path of Genghis Khan
on the Mongolian steppe! We
didn’t find Genghis Khan but we
did find Mongolia, and we had the
time of our lives along the way!

THE ABSOLUTE LOW
point for us also happened when
we were in Mongolia… One of our
guides initiated us by presenting
a swollen dead marmot, which
had been gutted, filled with hot
stones, blowtorched and then
stitched up again… Apparently, this
is considered a culinary delight in
Mongolia! It tasted like chicken!
Really, we don’t have anything
to complain about, although we do
always have a tremendous amount
of activity going on at once. We set
very high standards for ourselves
and always aim to deliver the very
best for our clients, whether it’s a
television documentary or a new
corporate animation for the latest
Cambridge innovation. But these
aren’t lows for us – we thrive in this
environment (almost as much as
Outer Mongolia – and there are far
less dead marmots)!

MINDSET
Love what you do, do what you love.
We wax lyrical about the things that make us tick
and where we get our professional kicks.

Pause for emphasis

Teamwork dreamwork

Fact first

Presenting with passion for impact.
We hear from Kate Chacksfield
about how to effectively master
the art of public speaking.

Understanding differences
in personality could be the key
to unlocking the potential
of your team...

Fake news is everywhere. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also
avoidable. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to take a stand
against misleading reporting
to protect society at large.

p18

p20

p24

MINDSET /

18

SAY

what?

Persuasive presenting is
a matter of perfectly timed...
pauses, among other things.

words by Kate Chacksfield

WINTER 2017-18 /

19

“I FELL SHORT IN

FORMER BBC AND SKY NEWS BROADCASTER
KATE CHACKSFIELD TRAINS SENIOR BUSINESS
LEADERS AS A COMMUNICATIONS COACH

communicating my ideas; I failed to
rally the nation,” says Gordon Brown
about his defeat in the 2010 general
election. Brown believes he was ‘not
an ideal fit’ for today’s ‘touchy-feely’
politics and that his inability to be
conspicuously demonstrative was a
root cause of the result that handed
David Cameron power. The initial
charm of being promoted as ‘Not
Flash, Just Gordon’ by his marketing
team had worn off by the time the
polling booths opened.
The ability to persuade, to convince,
to make your audience listen to you is
at the heart of being a strong speaker.
The key to success is neither the
wording of the speech, the detail of
the research, nor the cleverness of the
writer. It is the ability to perform. The
body language and tone of the voice.
Natural actors take to this more easily
than the great majority, who have
to practise. Endlessly. It is estimated
that a speaker should rehearse their
presentation 24 times.

prepare to perform
It takes work to put on a show. Want
your presentation to be a relaxed and
off the cuff or more ‘I’ll just perch on the
edge of this desk and chat’ style? Even
more preparation is required.
Eye
contact,
smiles,
strong
handshakes, positive gesticulations,
facial expressions, walking with
confidence, standing tall and only
talking when looking at your audience
fall into the category of body language.
Effective voice tone, meanwhile,
is created with a powerful – not
necessarily loud – delivery and an often
overlooked technique, pauses. To quote
American writer Mark Twain “no word
was ever as effective as a rightly timed
pause”. Not talking for a moment is
incredibly powerful. The temptation
may be to rattle through a presentation.
Those skilled at speaking build in pauses
at the end of sentences and paragraphs
to enable them to look down at their
notes, to allow the audience to process
what’s just been said, and for emphasis
before an important point.

you can learn
Bill Clinton is acknowledged as a
powerful speaker, but it wasn’t always
so. Decades ago, the then relatively
unknown Clinton was scheduled
to speak for fifteen minutes, but
continued for more than half an hour.
The biggest applause reportedly came
at thirty two minutes, when he said,
“and in conclusion…”. But the former
president persevered and became a
charismatic presenter, using pauses
and body language to great effect.
With powerful body language and
vocals mastered, the audience has no
choice but to be engaged and will,
finally, be able to hear and listen to the
speaker’s message – A trick Gordon
Brown was unable to master.

MINDSET /

MEDIATOR

ADVOCATE

20

except

CAMPAIGNER

In service-led organisations,
people are your biggest
asset. But what makes for
a cohesive and harmonious
team dynamic? Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how
we do it at Method...
words by Kirsten Corrigan

PROTAGONIST

WINTER 2017-18 /

COMMANDER

21

ENTERTAINER

tional
ADVENTURER

THERE ARE PLENTY OF

CONSUL

psychometric testing methodologies available
for the purpose of candidate profiling during
the recruitment process. The goal is to evaluate
someone’s natural skillset, their intelligence
and importantly, their personality, to make
an informed decision about whether they can
do the job you require and if they will fit in.
Many, such as the Myers-Briggs framework,
call upon the conceptual theories of analytical
psychologist Carl Jung. This MBTI test creates
scenarios where you are required to answer
questions about how you would feel or act. This
information broadly categorises you across four
spectrums – Introvert/Extrovert, Intuitive/
Sensing, Thinking/Feeling and Judging/Perceiving.
You end up with a four-letter ‘type’.

While no test can guarantee seamless integration
for a newcomer to a team, understanding
what makes someone tick – and what might
send them over the edge – is actually very
useful when it comes to achieving harmony.
People in different roles also need
complementary characteristics so the baton can
be passed around the team depending on the
task. Not everyone is a natural ‘front of house’
personality and equally, many are not fastidious
about detail. At Method we need both and rare
is the unicorn who can span both comfortably.
The MBTI approach has definitely been useful
but we felt a little disconnected from our fourletter labels... and came across a modernised way
of expressing who we are on the 16 Personalities
website. Instead of saying ‘ENTJ’ I became a
‘Commander’ – which actually helped the rest of
the team to understand why I am wired in a certain
way and that it’s necessary in my role. It also
helped me to reorientate people more effectively
with greater understanding about what it means
to be a ‘Consul’ or an ‘Advocate’ – personality
types that are better suited to less confrontational
situations than I might have put them in previously.
This insight and easy to digest way of describing
ourselves has been invaluable in making our team
more collaborative, by building trust in each other
as individuals. We currently have eight personalities
within our team of 12. Through the engaging way
in which 16 Personalities brings our characteristics
to life, we appreciate what each of us brings to the
wider Method mix and how we all fit together.

MINDSET /

BEYOND THE

22

HEADLINES
One event, many voices – we take a look...

she just tripped & fell into my life
DAILY MIRROR – 28 NOVEMBER

the corgis took to her straight away
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH – 28 NOVEMBER

the stars were all aligned...
this beautiful woman just fell into my life
DAILY MAIL – 28 NOVEMBER

she’s the one
THE SUN – 28 NOVEMBER

prince harry: ‘all the stars were aligned’
THE TIMES – 28 NOVEMBER

WINTER 2017-18 /

23

THE NEWS
AS I SEE IT
Nina Lancaster
Method

AS WITH ALL ROYAL
announcements, the news that
Prince Harry and American actress,
Meghan Markle, are to be married
sparked a frenzy of comments and
debate in the UK’s media and, not
surprisingly, worldwide.
Britain’s
national newspapers love a royal story,
especially one that involves a prince
falling for a Hollywood actress, but
how they choose to report the news is
an insight into what makes the editors
and their readers tick.
Without
fail,
the
tabloids
immediately highlighted the ‘fun’
elements, which help to tell the tale.
There were juicy headlines ‘He surprised
her on one knee as he cooked her
roast chicken’ and ‘Diana’s diamonds
in ring’ – along with pullout souvenir
guides, multi-page supplements and
unseen photos. But it also prompted
unexpected headlines in the typically
more reserved broadsheets. The Daily
Telegraph even decided to lead its story
with the headline that the corgis had
given Meghan their seal of approval.
Although the editor of The Guardian
made the decision to lead with a Brexit
story, they squeezed in a photograph

of the happy couple on its front page.
It was a simple approach rather than
an eye-catching headline emblazoned
across the front of its morning edition.
Whether you’re a fan of the
royal family or not, the forthcoming
marriage, not to mention the
possibility of an extra Bank Holiday,
poses an opportunity to jump on
the bandwagon and celebrate. For
fellow marketers, particularly in
the world of consumer goods, it
provides a profitable opportunity –
the advertising team at The Daily
Telegraph were quick to secure an ad
for Tiffany engagement rings to run
alongside its article. And just think of
the opportunities to sell memorable
souvenirs, royal-themed merchandise
for street parties and tempting travel
promotions to entice some of us to
take a long weekend in sunnier climes
– again, Bank Holiday permitting!
But it’s hard not to think that in a
world that is often clouded by news
filled with doom and gloom, the
prospect of a royal wedding that’s
tipped to be ‘a moment of fun and joy’
could really boost the UK’s economy
and lift our spirits in 2018.

MINDSET /

24

SEEKING

WINTER 2017-18 /

Fake news is either being propagated
or highlighted by media publications across the UK.
Let’s delve into the origins of this concept
and how we might tackle it together.
words by Kayleigh Didcott

MEDIA OUTLETS THE
world over are on the witchhunt for
fake news – news that isn’t entirely
based on fact; that bends the truth
with an insidious agenda. Ironically,
Donald Trump brought the term to
light when he accused a journalist of
representing “fake news” at his first
press conference as President-elect
earlier this year.
Fake news isn’t new news – it has
been around for thousands of years
and can be observed in countless
examples throughout history.
During the first century BC, Marc
Antony committed suicide upon
hearing the fake news, spread by
his rival Octavian, that the Egyptian
queen Cleopatra VII had killed
herself. In 1835, The New York Sun

there’s a need
to identify
trusted
and quality
sources of
information

published fictionalised stories about
astronomers who had observed life
on the moon to boost penny paper
sales. After the Nazi Party rose to
power, Hitler established the Reich
Ministry of Public Enlightenment and
Propaganda to promote their agenda.
A recent study by the University of
Oxford even highlighted that proLeave bots had a hand in shaping the
conversation on Twitter during the
EU referendum.
Fake news is more important now
than ever. Named as the word – or in
this case, term – of the year by Collins
Dictionary, it is clear that there is a
need to identify trusted and quality
sources of information when so many
are using sensationalist tactics to
influence public opinion.

25

MINDSET /

26

we need to continue
to cultivate
a network of people
with integrity

Access to the digital world allows
people to have information at their
fingertips, allowing information to
be broadcasted at a rapid rate. If
information is incorrect or bends
the truth, the masses can be
misled and manipulated. We have
already witnessed the far-reaching
consequences of this impact in Britain
– I need not even mention the ‘B’
word. Whether wittingly or not, social
media has also been instrumental in
the rise of fake news, allowing for the
swift dissemination of information to
massive audiences with very little cost
and regulation.
People are calling for transparency.
As a brand communications agency,
we feel a responsibility to express

our standpoint – fake news presents
a threat to freedom of thought and
it should be highlighted, exposed
and rejected. We need to continue
to cultivate a network of people with
integrity, who share good content and
who steer clear of spurious subject
matter. The key is to understand
the values of our audience, creating
narratives that will resonate with them
– not to mislead them.
We’ve reached a crucial turning
point – Article 50 has been triggered
and March 2019 will be upon us in the
blink of an eye. While we can’t undo
what has been done, we can protect
the truth. We’re ready and willing to
call out false reporting when we see it…
Are you?

METHOD
Gamechanging is what fuels the Cambridge brand.
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re excited to work with those
who have a desire to be the best in all they do.

Momentuous milestones

Coming together

Perfectly poised

When a client reaches an important
time in its history, its important
to celebrate this while remaining
respectful of traditional values.

Collaboration is key, and work
environments that foster this culture
can untap employee satisfaction,
loyalty and productivity.

An exciting addition to the new
Station Quarter, the Tamburlaine
hotel is has opened its doors to
Cambridge with impeccable timing.

p28

p32

p36

METHOD /

28

A MOM

in ti

WINTER 2017-18 /

29

MENT

ime
When your business is rooted
in time and heritage,
an important anniversary
can present opportunities
for positive change.
words by Laura Wing

METHOD /

Image credit: Phil Mynott/CHS Group

30

REACHING A
significant milestone can often be a
catalyst for change in business. As days
turn into years and decades, evolving
and progressing can present a myriad
of challenges and opportunities.
Responding to these in the appropriate
way at the right time can contribute to
repointing and repositioning a business
to build solid foundations for its future.
We’ve been lucky to work with
sector leaders who are ambitious
enough to take risks to achieve their
goals. They recognise opportunity
and the need to continually transform
and think long term to ensure they
remain prosperous. When you
are working in the shadows of an
established history, the challenge
is not only in evolving to meet the
needs of business… it’s also about
making sure your staff are on the
journey with you too.
navigating change
Being Cambridge based, a number of
our clients have a deep history in the
city that is intrinsically linked to the
very fabric of who they are. Harnessing
this heritage with one hand, while
navigating and setting the tone for
future evolution with the other, is a
tough balance to strike. Milestones
must be marked with sensitivity and
diplomacy to ensure no-one is lost
during the transition.

CELEBRATE YOUR HISTORY

We were particularly proud to help
one Cambridge stalwart mark its 90th
birthday in 2017. CHS Group – or
Cambridge Housing Society, as it is
known to some of the thousands of
people it supports across our region
– used the occasion to celebrate its
outstanding team and its loyal and
celebrated customers. A staff and
customer party was held at Robinson
College’s new Crausaz Wordsworth
building and focused stakeholders on
the future. Long-serving staff were
acknowledged and chief executive
Nigel Howlett gave an inspiring speech
to set the tone for the next chapter of
the organisation’s future. Details such
as afternoon tea were thoughtfully
chosen to ensure CHS remained true
to its roots, giving a nod to the past
and a welcome to its future in keeping
with its brand.
Behind the scenes, CHS has been
quietly planning the next stage of its
journey for some time. We’ve worked
with its senior leadership team to
define a new communications strategy
that will support their vision that
those they work with will achieve

Image credit: Phil Mynott/CHS Group

WINTER 2017-18 /

31
ENGAGED PEOPLE ARE PROUD OF THEIR SHARED
HISTORY AND EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE
THEY ARE CREATING TOGETHER

CATALYST
FOR CHANGE

their aspirations and live safe, healthy
and financially resilient lives. It will
underpin and lead communications,
but it will also help to create a cohesive,
united voice internally, something that
is so important in today’s hectic world.
It makes sense to do it in line with a
pinnacle occasion; change needs to be
rooted in logic to enable it to resonate
and affect those involved.
take everyone along with you
Change is exciting and important but
it absolutely must be tempered with
appropriateness to have any credibility.
It should also be progressive. It
shouldn’t be easy or comfortable. With
a fine line between propelling you to
out and out success and alienating
your audience, there’s much to be
said about the best way to approach
marking a milestone. Doing what feels
right is the most important element
by far… consult those in your network,
bring them on board for the next step
of the journey so they can take the
leap with you.

chs remains
true to its roots
and welcomes
its future

Progression is essential
for any organisation,
especially one that
has been around for
almost a century.
The ability to anticipate
change is one of the
attributes that marks out
longstanding, successful
brands. Technology,
cultural shifts and
economic uncertainty
all present opportunities
to reassess. With your
people behind the cause,
you gain momentum.

METHOD /

32

THINKING

SPACE
Creating the right
environment for productivity
is a collaborative affair.
words by Kirsten Corrigan

make your office
a destination where
people choose to be

Image credit: Future Business Centre/Julian Claxton

WINTER 2017-18 /

33
WE HAVE SHEEP AT OUR

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE OF
WORKING AWAY FROM THE DESK

are no separate offices or corporate
layouts – it’s light and airy with
something of a homely feel and it
makes the fast pace of Monday to
Friday much easier to manage. It also
allows for completely open dialogue
between us all, which in turn keeps us
feeling connected as a team and able
to share in the camaraderie that is
essential in nurturing a team bond.
This
trend
for
collaborative
workspace is on the rise, with greater
understanding of how much impact our
surroundings have on productivity.

Image credit: Future Business Centre/Julian Claxton

office and a friendly pigeon named
Paul – he’s become something of an
Instagram sensation and our team
looks forward to his impromptu visits,
even if he is a little over familiar. Being
based out of the city on a beautiful
rural estate is great for our wellbeing
as a team, but it’s also somewhere our
clients love to visit. When faced with
the daily grind and the pressure to
constantly deliver, those of us with 9
to 5 lives appreciate the chance to go
about our business in a place where we
enjoy spending time.
While this location wouldn’t work
for everyone, it’s perfect for us and
we’ve chosen to keep our interior as
welcoming as our exterior – there

FUTURE FOCUSED
The Future Business Centre is the
home for social or environmental
ventures. In addition to space,
it offers free business advice to
eligible businesses, plus structured
incubator programmes providing
great support opportunities for
startup companies who want to
accelerate their businesses.
There’s shared workspace for
entrepreneurs, startups, and small
businesses at sites in Cambridge,
Peterborough and East London.
Either through traditional hotdesking or with a dedicated desk
space in a co-working suite, they
offer full ‘big office’ facilities with
small office costs.

A CREATIVE SPACE HELPS
GENERATE CREATIVE IDEAS

METHOD /

34
Collaboration, in its most modern
incarnation,
involves
companies
choosing to reside in multi-occupier
buildings and Cambridge has a number
of these, with the original St John’s
Innovation Centre still going strong.
But today it’s less about the bricks
and mortar consideration for growing
companies and lower cost implications
– it’s about being in the right space to
stimulate creativity as a cultural need.
in good company
Whether a high growth startup
or established operation, being
part of a wider community has
its
advantages.
The
science
park concept is proven and has
demonstrated that the strategic

Image credit: JAndreas Langreiter/Red Bull Content Pool

THE WORKS WILL BE A
COLLABORATIVE SPACE,
ENCOURAGING PRODUCTIVITY

clustering of certain organisations in
geographic locations pays dividends
in growing awareness for a particular
sector. It’s a win-win. It’s also useful
having likeminded people around,
creating a sense of belonging.
Allia, the Cambridge-based not
for profit that supports organisations
with a social mission, recently opened
its third Future Business Centre in
Hackney. It joins the Cambridge and
Peterborough sites and is supported
by the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.
Tim Jones, Allia’s chief executive
says, “We are really excited to be
joining the evolving ecosystem in
London Fields and want our new
centre to be the home for East
London’s impact entrepreneurs.”

design for life
While the science and social
enterprise communities are well
catered for in Cambridge, there’s a
distinct lack of dedicated space for
hightech and creative industries.
Regional property developer and
investor Howard Group is planning
to address this with its recently

unveiled Unity Campus regeneration
project in Sawston.
Collaborating
with
global
architecture
firm
NBBJ,
the
development team is working
on a long-term transformation
of Sawston Trade Park into an
ambitious tech-focused business
park. The first phase will open with
the flagship building ‘The Works’
in early 2019 and there has been a
design-led approach, with optimum
productivity in mind. The CGIs give
a hint of the vision for the 70,000sq
ft building and it’s got destination
written all over it. With interest from
high-growth tech players already
secured, it seems to have hit the
right spot.

Image credit: JAndreas Langreiter/Red Bull Content Pool

Method was one of the original anchor
tenants at the Cambridge centre,
moving in when it opened at the end
of 2014. In our two years there we
extended our professional network and
gained access to invaluable support
and advice, as well as benefiting from
the shared amenities on site. It was the
right place for us to mature as a team.

THE WORKS
The first phase at Unity Campus
will be a 70,000 sq ft building
aimed at cleantech, office and
R&D tenants. Housed in the
original precast concrete frame,
the building is being renovated
and reimagined.
Colin Brown, director of
portfolio development at Howard
Group said, “We want to create
an environment people want to
spend time in, so the design of
the building is intentionally about
encouraging interaction.”
The Works is the first phase
of the 260,000 sq ft estate and
is expected to be ready for
occupation in early 2019.

A DESIGN
APPROACH TO RIVAL
SILICON VALLEY

METHOD /

subtly
36

stylish

Station Quarter gets an injection
of glamour with the arrival
of the Tamburlaine.
We’re all over it.
words by Nina Lancaster

THE ARRIVAL OF THE
sleek Tamburlaine hotel, in the heart
of Cambridge’s buzzing station
quarter, once again puts this prime
location on the map and highlights
how it really is all about location,
location, location.
With
improvements
in
infrastructure – transport, in
particular being a topic of hot debate
as the city continues to grow – the
O’Callaghan group clearly made
a strategic decision to build its 4
star hotel here and to provide the
latest business facilities within easy
access. With rail links to Cambridge
North, London and more just a few
footsteps away, as well as Amazon
and other world-class, high-growth
businesses already in residence, the
Tamburlaine really couldn’t be in a
more prominent and timely position.

WINTER 2017-18 /

THE LUXURIANT GARDEN ROOM
IS IDEAL FOR LOUNGING IN STYLE

37

Named after a Persian emperor in
a play by a 16th century dramatist
and Cambridge alumni, Christopher
Marlow, the Tamburlaine is an
elegant destination that’s hard to
miss. Its façade on Station Road is
striking, glossy and akin to what
might be usually found in capital
cities around the world.
Once
inside, the hotel space and staff are
warm, inviting and have an easy air
of sophistication. Clearly, attention
to detail is paramount. Each room
oozes a modern decadence, which
combines a Persian influence with
Cambridge’s old school charm – or as
I overheard a guest saying in the hotel
recently - is like a scene from 1920’s
New York. The snug areas furnished
with armchairs upholstered in tweed
and shelving lined with books are
ideal spaces to work in away from

elegant and
welcoming,
the tamburlaine
is perfectly placed

the office or for grabbing an informal
chat over coffee. If you need a more
formal business space, they have
these too. The hard decision really
comes when trying to select which
one you prefer.
This is something we discovered
recently when we decided to
host our Christmas party at the
Tamburlaine. The Garden Room,
however, instantly felt ‘very Method’.
Although to some it’s only a space,
to us the vibe had to be right – we
really do live and breathe our brand.
With a strong exotic influence, plush
sofas and lush greenery, it’s inviting
and comfortable, but a sophisticated
place at the forefront of the future
of Cambridge. We hope you’ll agree
it’s the ideal venue for us to celebrate
our successes of 2017 with you and
to toast a prosperous new year.

Image credit: Balazs Gardi/Red Bull Content Pool

METHOD /

38

THE SPORTING HIGHS!
ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WHAT THE FANS CAME FOR

WINTER 2017 -18 /

PULSE

RACING
Understanding what makes
your audience tick is the secret
to great content success.
words by Dave Rawlings

Image credit: Armin Walcher/Red Bull Content Pool

THINK OF THE MOST
obscure hobby or interest you can –
chances are there is a Twitter handle,
Facebook page and Instagram account
that focuses on that subject.
In our daily lives, we are inundated
with images, videos and updates vying
for our attention. When creating
content for social, you need to ensure
it not only reaches as many eyes as
possible, but that fingers are tapping
the like button, commenting or
retweeting. Through great audience
insight you can curate content that
strikes an emotional chord – it’s about

connecting with hearts and minds.
That’s when impressive audience
growth occurs.
Method’s work with the Red Bull
Air Race global motorsport series has
ensured its channels go from strengthto-strength each year. It’s not just
down to the content we put on the
channels, or the promotional strategy
that we run in tandem, it’s also very
much about community management.
This means answering fans’ questions
and
constantly
guarding
the
reputation of the brand on wholly
visible and public channels. It’s about

showing them love and ensuring
they feel valued as part of the sport’s
community. Empathy is a big part of
being able to do this – our team has
a long history with the sport and the
wider brand, so we know instinctively
how to communicate in this arena.
It’s not a technical marketing task
– there’s no complex science to why
Method has been so successful. True
social engagement comes from being
real people with a personal investment
in the subject. It’s because we live
it, we breathe it and, if we’re being
honest, we’re fans as well…